Principal Civil Engineer 

Contract type: Contract
Scope: Outside IR35
Location: Manchester
Industry: Water

Purpose of the Role

We are working with a specialist engineering consultancy providing design and infrastructure support across the rail and utilities sectors. The organisation supports projects from early design through to installation, delivering safe and efficient solutions on complex infrastructure programmes.

The Principal Civil Engineer will be responsible for delivering technical solutions, overseeing design deliverables, and maintaining engineering standards for civil engineering projects across the regulated water industry. The role ensures designs meet safety, quality, and regulatory requirements while providing technical leadership to the wider design team.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the design team delivers civil engineering designs that meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards.

• Review and approve design deliverables, design risk assessments, reports, and technical specifications.

• Identify efficient and appropriate design solutions from project scopes and site visits, communicating these to clients and project teams.

• Provide leadership and development for engineers, CAD technicians, and graduates.

• Guide designs to ensure compliance with relevant technical standards, professional guidance, and water company requirements.

• Manage and record design changes throughout the project lifecycle.

• Ensure work is delivered in line with formal processes and procedures.

• Estimate design hours and support project planning.

• Attend and present designs at technical and project review meetings.

• Interpret and communicate relevant engineering standards and procedural updates.

• Act as Professional Head for the discipline and undertake Responsible Engineer/CRE duties on specific projects.

• Provide technical input to projects and tenders while supporting continuous improvement of engineering standards.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Around 10 years’ design experience within the regulated water industry at Senior or Principal Engineer level.

• Experience carrying out hydraulic calculations and preparing hydraulic profiles.

• Degree or HND in a relevant engineering discipline.

• Strong IT skills and professional engineering knowledge.

• Chartered Engineer status.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working on both clean water and wastewater projects.

• Experience with infrastructure and non-infrastructure designs.

• Experience delivering both outline and detailed designs.

• Knowledge of construction methods, materials, and engineering drawing practices.

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Key Skills
Strong technical expertise, effective communication, problem solving, and the ability to lead and develop others within a multidisciplinary engineering team.